Host Basics_ Mycobacterium smegmatis

Mycobacterium smegmatis

A bacterium, commonly known as "smeg," that is used as a host for phage isolation in SEA-PHAGES.

Actinobacteria

A phylum of bacteria to which Mycobacterium smegmatis belongs. Actinobacteria are known for their fungus-like appearance under the microscope.

M. tuberculosis

A species of Mycobacterium that causes tuberculosis, a contagious infection that primarily affects the lungs.

M. leprae

A species of Mycobacterium that causes leprosy, a chronic infectious disease that primarily affects the skin and nerves.

Doubling time

The time it takes for a bacterial population to double in size. M. smegmatis has a doubling time of approximately 3 hours.

7H9 media

A nutrient-rich media used for growing M. smegmatis in research. It is supplemented with albumin and dextrose (AD) and incubated at 37˚C.

Bacterial lawn

A dense growth of bacteria on an agar plate. M. smegmatis can form a bacterial lawn within 20-24 hours when many bacterial cells are added.

M. smegmatis mc2 155

A specific strain of M. smegmatis widely used in SEA-PHAGES. It is the recommended host for phage isolation.

Antimicrobials

Substances, such as antibiotics or antifungals, that can be added to growth media to prevent the growth of other microorganisms.

Phage Buffer

A buffer solution used for phage isolation experiments. It contains Tris, MgSO4, NaCl, CaCl2, and optionally glycerol.

Restriction Enzymes

Enzymes used in molecular biology to cut DNA at specific sequences. BamHI, ClaI, EcoRI, HaeIII, HindIII, and MseI are commonly used restriction enzymes.